New Resource – The Mental Health Factor in DV Custody Cases: Results from A Brief Survey of Lawyers Who Represent DV Survivors

The National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma & Mental Health (NCDVTMH) administered a brief survey to a pool of lawyers who represent domestic violence (DV) survivors in custody cases. The survey asked lawyers about their experiences with the opposing party (the abusive partner) raising the survivor’s mental health as an issue in their cases. Although limited, the findings from this survey suggest that it is extremely common for abusers to raise the survivor’s mental health as an issue in a custody case.

The results of this survey are presented in this report, accompanied by brief analysis.

While further research is needed to fully understand the intersection of mental health and DV in the context of custody cases, it is our hope that the present survey will inspire more research and analysis, and ultimately, that a better understanding of these issues will help inform policy recommendations that will increase the safety and well-being of survivors and their children.